"It is." He doesn't correct Caleb's pronunciation outright, but Darlington's certain he can feel the effort it takes to hold himself back from doing so. "Every three years, Lethe selects an incoming freshman to serve as Dante." He tilts his head a bit to the side, knowing that's likely to mean nothing to Caleb, depending what Alex had told him already. "They're...I call them our offices, Alex prefers code names. The senior representative, me, is always Virgil. Alex, as the new first year, was Dante."

The path narrows again, and this time Darlington cuts ahead, waiting to continue speaking until they're running side by side again. "Usually, there's a vetting process. The Virgil makes a few selections out of the files on the incoming class, which are presented to the Lethe board for a vote. With Alex, it was a decision made out of my hands. A unanimous choice."

Uncertain whether Alex has shared her own ability with Caleb, Darlington doesn't say why.